Vendors and visitors returned to Dilworth Park’s Christmas Village on Saturday, a day after gunfire disrupted the holiday market, causing three teenagers injured and one in custody.
Barry Allen, a supplier with Makin It Designs by Vicki, described the chaotic moments when the shots rang out Friday around 4:33 p.m.
“We heard the shots. When we looked at the rink we saw people falling, we all fell to the ground,” Allen said. “It’s a very surreal incident. This is not an everyday occurrence, but things happen.”
Increased police patrols were visible on Saturday when the rink delayed its opening by two hours. Despite the incident, many visitors expressed their determination to continue enjoying the festivities.
“We already had plans to come back today. It didn’t affect us one bit,” said Gage Smith, a New Jersey resident. “It’s a big city. There’s a lot of things happening. It can be scary sometimes, but we felt safe coming back.”
Bucks County resident Terry McIntyre says he felt the same way.
“We feel safe here. There are a lot of police, they do a good job,” McIntyre said. “That was a random thing, I think it happened.”
Yet not everyone felt comfortable. Ruth Espinosa, visiting from Chile, said she and her 12-year-old daughter Mathilde became scared Friday evening after hearing helicopters and screaming outside their nearby hotel.
“We wanted to come skate yesterday, and we just stayed at the hotel because we were scared,” Espinosa said. “Now that I know we almost left last night, I don’t feel completely safe.”
Business owners, like Beth Geddio, owner of the store State of Being, are doing their best to ensure a sense of security for their customers and staff.
“I feel like it puts a little burden on us as business owners. My employee was here last night trying to make her feel safe and good,” Geddio said. “That’s kind of the responsibility I have now to make sure they all feel good when they come back.”
Allen remained optimistic.
“It was a one-time incident,” he said of the shooting. “It’s a great event; the atmosphere is great. It’s Philadelphia, it’s Christmas Village time. Come along and enjoy the evening.”
